>>Lost me there
I did not deny that abuses took place. The important question is whether the Catholic priests were abusing children at a higher rate than people with similar positions of responsibility, such as public school teachers. The Catholic League revealed that the priests abused children at a much lower rate than public school teachers.
I am not trying to minimize child abuse. But we must not be statistically illiterate. In a Church of 1.1 billion people, with hundreds of thousands of priests, to expect a 100 percent record of perfection is to be unrealistic, when we do not hold teachers, doctors, cops, firemen, and people in other respected professions to a similar standard.
>>The Catholic League revealed that the priests abused children at a much lower rate than public school teachers.
School teachers are not “men of God”.
School teachers do not take a vow of chastity.
School teachers are not called “Father” by the parents of the children they molest.
No. That is a false straw-man argument that justifies the existence of sexual abuse in the Catholic denomination. The Christian standard is none. The group that claims to be the church in direct submission to God has a much higher standard than "school teachers, doctors, cops, firemen, etc."
One is too many in the church. The "statistical argument" is a fraud that says, "hey, we are no worse than people who don't claim to be God's people."
I am not trying to minimize child abuse.
But you are minimizing it while also excusing the existence of sexual predators in your organization by comparing them to those who are outside the church.
Even worse, this sexual preying on the young was covered up and the perpetrators were not stricken from the priesthood, but were shuffled around to protect them, instead of children. It was a huge disaster for Catholicism. Immeasurable damage to the reputation.
When, oh when, will a Catholic stand up and condemn the actions of priests and bishops and the hierarchy and demand they be defrocked, instead of given jobs out of sight?